If one plane ends up in every woodworker's apron, it is the low-angle adjustable mouth block plane, and Lie-Nielsen makes the finest version of it on the Maine coast, an hour north of our campus. Based on the old Stanley 60-1/2, at 6-1/4 in overall it fits one hand, trimming end grain, easing chamfers, and fitting parts all day.
A movable shoe closes the mouth tight for whisper shavings on tricky grain or opens it up for fast stock removal. The A2 blade is bedded at 12 degrees for end grain, adjusted with a captive nut so there is almost no backlash, and held by a big bronze cap tensioned with a brass spinwheel. Lie-Nielsen grinds the ductile iron body flat and square to a thousandth, so it works beautifully out of the box and for the rest of your life. Fine Woodworking has named it the best overall block plane year after year.
Specifications:
- Pattern: low-angle adjustable mouth block plane, based on the Stanley 60-1/2
- Overall: 6-1/4 in long, 1-3/4 in wide
- Blade: 1-3/8 in wide x 1/8 in thick A2 tool steel, 25-degree bevel, bedded at 12 degrees
- Mouth: adjustable
- Body: ductile iron ground flat and square to .001 in or better; bronze cap with 1-1/2-in brass spinwheel; captive-nut adjuster with minimal backlash
- Weight: 1.5 lb
- Recognition: Fine Woodworking Best Overall Block Plane; Wood Magazine Top Tool
- Made in: Warren, Maine, USA by Lie-Nielsen Toolworks
